It’s a beautiful place with interesting things to see, impeccable theming and some fantastic attractions.
Here’s a guide to all Animal Kingdom rides and attractions to help you decide what to do when you visit.
In this article
What rides are at Animal Kingdom?
Animal Kingdom has a total of 15 rides and live shows:
The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
Avatar Flight of Passage
The Boneyard
Conservation Station
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Feathered Friends in Flight!
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
It’s Tough to be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
Na’vi River Journey
TriceraTop Spin
Animal Kingdom is the largest of all of the theme parks in terms of acres but has the least amount of attractions. The park icon is a big man-made tree called The Tree of Life.
As the park’s name implies, there are lots of live animal attractions here, but there are some good non-animal attractions as well (including the 2 best live shows in all of Disney World).
Let’s take a look at each section of Animal Kingdom and what attractions are located there.
Characters and Nighttime Entertainment
In addition to the attractions and shows listed below, Animal Kingdom also offers visitors lots of opportunities to see characters around the park. And while there is no nighttime show in the traditional sense, the Tree of Life Awakenings projections occur nightly and are a beautiful way to end your park day.
Safari vehicles that are driven by guides who really do drive (no tracks) and they are very knowledgeable about the animals. As you go, the drivers give you lots of info based on what you see along the ride and sometimes have to stop to wait for animals to clear the path.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Anybody
Attraction length: About 22 minutes
Do we recommend? Definitely
When to visit: 1st hour (or later with Genie+)
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: No, but sometimes opens early
Tip(s): Visit first thing in the morning after the park opens. Not only does the line get really long really fast but the animals do seem to be out more in the morning. The earlier you arrive at Animal Kingdom, the easier it will be to get on this ride without a wait.
This big, fun, Broadway-style show lasts for 30 minutes and is 1 of the best shows at Disney World. There is lots of music, dancing, stilt walkers and acrobats, featuring songs and stories from The Lion King.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Everybody
Attraction length: About 30 minutes
Do we recommend? Absolutely
When to visit: Anytime, as scheduled
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: No
Tip(s): Check show times to see when it’s scheduled, and show up 15-20 minutes beforehand, trying to sit near the front of a section for the best views.
Asia
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Expedition Everest is a fantastic roller coaster and one of our favorite attractions in all of Disney World. It starts off like a pretty normal coaster and then stops and goes backward before heading forward again on a thrilling ride.
Height req: 44 inches
Suitable for: Coaster lovers. Although many kindergarten and 1st graders will be tall enough to ride, many get off of it visibly upset because it was way too intense for them. If your child is tall enough, make sure they’re also ready for a big ride.
Attraction length: About 3 and a half minutes
Do we recommend? Yes!
When to visit: 1st hour (or later with Genie+)
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: Yes
Tip(s): Use a Genie+ if you don’t ride it first thing when the park opens. There is also a single rider option which would help people ride if they don’t have a Genie+ reservation.
Take a behind-the-scenes look at the birds that are a part of Animal Kingdom park. This show is hosted by animal behavior specialists that highlight how the birds are trained and cared for.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Everybody
Attraction length: About 25 minutes
Do we recommend? Absolutely
When to visit: Anytime, as scheduled
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: No
Tip(s): The earlier shows are typically the least busy.
Kali River Rapids
A river raft ride that has a very high chance of soaking you. The attraction itself isn’t very long, but if it is pretty fun on a hot day.
Height req: 38 inches
Suitable for: Anybody who doesn’t mind getting wet
Attraction length: About 4 minutes
Do we recommend? Yes, unless you hate being wet (have we mentioned that it gets you wet yet?)
When to visit: 2nd hour (or later with Genie+)
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: No
Tip(s): Wear a poncho to avoid getting wet, and plan on using the free lockers nearby to store your belongings
DinoLand U.S.A.
DINOSAUR
This ride takes you on a rough ride through history where you see lots of dinosaurs along the way.
Height req: 40 inches
Suitable for: Bigger kids and adults
Attraction length: About 3 minutes
Do we recommend? Yes
When to visit: 2nd hour (or later with Genie+)
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: Yes
Tip(s): If you’re using Rider Switch, the Boneyard is nearby and is a good place to entertain little ones while the older people in your group ride.
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
A Broadway-style show featuring super talented performers who sing and control puppet-type versions of the characters. Really great show and we feel like it keeps getting better.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Everybody
Attraction length: About 25 minutes
Do we recommend? Yes, unless you have young kids who aren’t into shows. Unlike the Festival of the Lion King (which is loved by nearly everyone because it is so high energy and fun), Finding Nemo is great for people who tend to enjoy musicals.
When to visit: Anytime, as scheduled
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: No
Tip(s): You’ll want to check the times guide for the show time and then show up about 15-20 minutes before a show begins. The best views are in the top, middle section.
TriceraTop Spin
Dumbo, but with dinosaurs.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Young kids
Attraction length: About 2 minutes
Do we recommend? No, unless you’re just trying to kill time with little ones
When to visit: Anytime
Lightning Lane available: No
Eligible for Early Entry: No
Tip(s): It is easy to take multiple rides on here without much of a wait, especially early in the morning.
The Boneyard
Play structure that’s great for letting little ones run around and burn off some steam.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Young children
Attraction length: N/A
Do we recommend? Not a must-see, but a great way to let cranky kids run around and not worry about being restrained in a stroller or standing in a line somewhere.
When to visit: Anytime (often opens an hour after the park)
Lightning Lane available: No
Eligible for Early Entry: No
Tip(s): This area usually opens an hour after the park does so don’t plan to stop by until then. If you’re using Rider Switch on a couple of nearby rides, this is a good place to entertain little ones while the older people in your group ride.
Discovery Island
It’s Tough to be a Bug!
This 3D show is inside of the Tree of Life and features characters from “A Bug’s Life.” As you’re looking at The Tree of Life from the front of the park, the entrance for this show is located just to the right side, near the paths that you’d take to DinoLand, U.S.A.
A new Zootopia show is in the works to replace It’s Tough to be a Bug! While we don’t have an opening date for the new show or a closing date for It’s Tough to be a Bug!, we do know that the Zootopia attraction will explore the various biomes briefly seen in the movie and feature familiar faces like Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Big kids and adults
Attraction length: About 8 minutes
Do we recommend? It’s not a must-see, but it’s a fun time-filler and a nice break from the heat.
When to visit: Anytime
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: Yes
Tip(s): Many families are drawn to this attraction because it’s cool to be able to go inside the tree and the characters are from a kid-friendly movie, but we have to warn you that little ones often scream at this show. It’s dark and there are scary parts that freak kids out, leaving everybody to sit in a theater with inconsolable tots.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
Learn how to draw favorite Disney characters and villains including Simba, Zazu, Scar, Pumbaa, Timon, Hopper, Tic Toc, and others.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Bigger kids and adults
Attraction length: About 25 minutes
Do we recommend? Yes
When to visit: Anytime, as scheduled
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: No
Tip(s): The pace of this mini-animation class may be frustrating for little ones. If you are traveling with somebody who doesn’t wish to participate, the nearby petting area at Affection Section makes it easy for groups to split up.
Wildlife Express Train
This train departs every 5-7 minutes (though lines to board the train can be lengthy) to take people to visit the Rafiki’s Planet Watch section.
Height req: None
Suitable for: Everybody
Attraction length: About 7 minutes
Do we recommend? Not unless you plan to spend time at the Conservation Station, the Affection Section or Habitat Habit.
When to visit: Anytime – operates seasonally
Lightning Lane available: No
Eligible for Early Entry: No
Tip(s): A visit out to Rafiki’s Planet Watch can sometimes take 1.5 hours round trip, so be aware of that before you board the train.
Pandora
Avatar Flight of Passage
Unlike any other attraction at Walt Disney World, guests mount their own “virtual banshee” to soar above the Valley of Mo’ara.
Height req: 44 inches
Suitable for: Guests 44″ and taller and those that can handle rides that are simulator based.
Attraction length: About 5 minutes
Do we recommend? Yes. If you are tall enough and don’t tend to get sick on simulator-based rides, this is one of the most unique attractions at Disney World and is definitely worth a try.
When to visit: 1st hour (or later with Individual Lightning Lane selection)
Lightning Lane available: Yes
Eligible for Early Entry: Yes
Tip(s): If you are prone to motion sickness, try riding in the middle of your row. The seats here are notorious for not being accommodating of all body types. If you are worried, there is a “test seat” outside of the queue that you can practice on. Be sure to lean in and slide your feet all the way forward as far as possible to maximize the seat and leg space.
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